The Audience

Everyone has an audience, a person or a group who listen to what you say or observe how you act.  Sometimes we seek to have an audience, like this blog, or by the nature of the status you hold, an audience is at your disposal. The Presidency of the United States is in the latter category.

President Obama has two basic audiences, the American people and the leaders of countries overseas. While some political punditry might assign all people of the world to President Obama’s second audience, given the magnitude of the leeway they allow him, I would think it is limited to the foreign leadership strictly because of the ability of that leadership to filter and manipulate anything that Obama says within their own national boundaries.

Beginning tonight the American audience will begin to see the Obama administration spin the Russian proposal of chemical weapons being placed under international control as a great diplomatic victory for the president. President Obama rattled the American saber and the Syrian dictator came to his senses. The President, acting alone and under the constant criticism of members of his own party, Republicans, and cheap bloggers like me, came to the aid of the helpless Syrian masses and prevailed. Yada, yada, yada.

But what does the other audience see? They see an American President who plays golf instead of studying foreign policy. They see an American President who quickly contradicts his own bellicose statements only to have the worldwide news media remind him of his gaffes. Our foreign friends, such as Israel and South Korea, see the American president as wavering, unsure, and in over his head. But what our enemies see is worse. They see an American President who has lost the initiative in the Middle East. They see a President grasping at this Russian straw as a means to maintain his personal image. They see now what motivates the President. Just give him a photo-op that allows him to shine. Just allow him to bounce on stage and smile. Never mind what actually happens, the American audience will not have to see that consequence.

Now don’t misunderstand me, I do not want any military action in Syria. I still support only medical and food supplies. But I do want the United States to be respected and even feared. Let me be perfectly clear (to use the President’s own tired phrase), if the President would just think before he speaks to the world’s audience, this would not have gotten to this point.